Patrick Hopkins was born in Tawnyshawn, Castlebar, Co. Mayo, Ireland, on the 23rd May 1892, the son of Patrick and Ellen Hopkins (née McHale). He was one of nine children, and his father was a farmer.
He was a professional seaman in the Mercantile Marine and in 1915, he lodged at 15, Walmsley Street, Everton, Liverpool, Lancashire, England. He was single.
He engaged as a fireman in the Engineering Department on board the Lusitania, at Liverpool, on the 12th April 1915, at a monthly rate of pay of £6-10s.-0d. (£6.50p.) and joined the liner on the morning of the 17th April before she made what would be her final voyage out of Liverpool, across the Atlantic to New York.
On the afternoon of the 7th May, while the Lusitania was six days into her return voyage to Liverpool, he was killed, when the liner was torpedoed and sunk by the German submarine U-20. At that time, the Lusitania was within sight of the coast of southern Ireland and only about fourteen hours steaming time away from the safety of her home port. Fireman Hopkins was aged 22 years at the time.
As his body was not recovered and identified afterwards, he is commemorated on the Memorial to the Missing at Tower Hill, London.
Register of Births, Marriages, and Deaths, 1901 Census of Ireland, 1911 Census of Ireland, Cunard Records, Commonwealth War Graves Commission, PRO BT 100/345, PRO BT 334, Deaths at Sea 1871 – 1968, Graham Maddocks, Geoff Whitfield, Michael Poirier, Jim Kalafus, Cliff Barry, Paul Latimer, Norman Gray.
Copyright © Peter Kelly.
Revised & Updated – 12th January 2024.